I have tasted it at the evening with the winemaker - Mr. Riccardo Tedeschi at "Wine Route", and picked a bottle.I am interested in the life span of this wine.At for the tasting, it was a big suprise to the people around the table who were not familiar with this winery Amarone della Valpolicella Classico series and we were in for a surprise! A Report will follow.

I will try to give my objective impressions of the vertical tasting of the Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Capitel Monte Olmi, 2004, 2000, 1998,1997, 1995 and the special Amarone della Valpolicella DOC la Fabriseria 2003 (which is something like the Katzrin from GHW, produced only on special good years).

In short, damned too sweet (excuse my French).

At least half of the 16 people around the table, excluding the hosts, did taste at least one Amarone della Valpolicella and all where in for a surprise.

The wines (with one exception that I will come back to) are too sweet to our taste being very dry with medium tannins - full body red wines. Yes we know that the Amarone making process lets the grapes sit and dry through most of the winter until they (almost) become raisins.But what we tasted was something between fortified wine and port. The sweetness did fade away a little with time in the glass then leaving very strong dry after taste.

The wines are excellent quality, maturing very good and except for difference in color and a hint of tobacco smell, do not show age, even after 13 year, more than 10 in the bottle.

The la Fabriseria 2003 stands tall above the rest, still very young, but also very rich on the nose, we could understand why the price tag is 950 NIS - not that any of us would pay.

The Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2003 is the only one available in Israel, with a price tag of 229 NIS - in the same range as other Amarone. The Monte Olmi (single vineyard) is produced in small quantities - thus the price which is doubles that of the regular series.

Now coming back to the 2000 exception. This is the only one out of 7 Amarone we tasted that was something like was our palettes are use to.

I had to ask the major question:

Why are the wines more sweet than other labels, is the 2000 the exception, or should it be the rule?Is the sweetness part of the family "tradition" of wine making, or is it something else?

Riccardo's answer surprised me in its honesty:"We would like all years to be like 2000, but our vineyards are on the slopes at around 150m and we are fighting global warming. "This one of the reasons they are planting now at 350-500m to fight the global warning and too much sugar that they do not want to convert to alcohol, as they plan to stay at the 15% level.

The bottom line, it was avery interesting evening. Many thanks to the host: Wine Route and the lady from Shaked, and of course Mr. Mr. Riccardo Tedeschi who did a very good job. We were all inverted to visit the winery. As Verona is about 10-15 KM from their home and the winery, and many Israeli holiday travelers fly there and use it as a base to the northern Italy lakes, mountains and Slovenia.

Cheers,

Eli

P.S. - I am sipping now the last drops of Galil Mountain CS 2007 that I opened on Sunday and kept today's ration in a separate container - back to good old basics!

Yesterday, (Monday, 21 July 2008), I attended an afternoon press tasting of the wines of Veneto producer Tedeschi, the tasting held at the Tel Aviv branch of Derekh HaYain (Wine Route) in the company of Riccardo Tedeschi.

Located in the Valpolicella area on a site on which grapes have been cultivated since 1630 and owned by the Tedeschi family since 1824, the winery produces about 450,000 bottles annually. The Tedeschi wines are not new to Israel but now have found a new importer with Shaked, the owners of the Derekh HaYain chain of wine shops.

My tasting notes follow.

BestRogov

Tedeschi, Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Veneto, 2006: Dark ruby towards garnet, developed for one year sur lie. Medium-bodied, with good balance between wood, soft tannins, acidity and fruit. On first attack strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, those on a lightly spicy and mineral background. If a wine can be described (in the positive sense) as "juicy", this is that wine. Drink now or in the next year or so. NIS 65 (about US$ 20) Score 87. (Tasted 21 Jul 2008)

Tedeschi, Valpolicella Superiore Rosso, Vino di Ripasso, Veneto, 2005: Dark, almost inky garnet in color, with green and purple reflections. Medium- to full-bodied, with gripping but comfortable tannins in fine proportion with fruits and showing a tantalizing hint of sweetness that rises from mid-palate on. On the nose and palate red berries, strawberries and cassis on a light earthy background. Tempting, perhaps not so much with food as on its own or with a good cigar. Drink now-2011. NIS 100 (about US$30). Score 90. (Tastedd 21 Jul 2008)

Tedeschi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, 2003: Dark ruby towards garnet, full-bodied, with opening sweetness yielding with charm to bitter almond and bitter orange peel. On the nose and palate purple plums and floral notes supported nicely by overlays of figs and walnuts and, on the long finish a generous hints of leather and bitter-sweet chocolate. Long and delicious. Approachable and enjoyable now but best from 2010. NIS 230 (about US$ 70) Score 92. (Re-tasted 21 Jul 2008)

Tedeschi, Amarone della Valoplicella Classico, La Fabriseria, Veneto, 2003: Very tempting Amarone, with an enchanting interplay between sweetness and bitterness. Full-bodied, with soft tannins integrating nicely and showing fine balance and structure. On first attack dried currants and a note of cinnamon, those yielding to purple plums and blackberries, all on a background of black pepper and licorice and on the long finish irresistible notes of milk chocolate, Brazil nuts and raisins. Approachable now but best 2010-2025, perhaps longer. NIS 950 (about US$ 288) Score 94. (Tasted 21 Jul 2008)

Also tasted, two library wines – that is to say brought especially from the winery for this tasting but not available locally.

Tedeschi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Capitel Monte Olmi, Veneto, 2000: Almost inky garnet in color, reflecting its development in oak (French barriques for one year and another year in large Slovanian oak) with notes not so much of vanilla and spices as of tea and molasses. Full-bodied, with now well integrated tannins in fine balance with fruits and acidity. On first attack licorice and plums, those yielding comfortably to dried cherries, minerals and Mediterranean herbs all on a background of raisins and chocolate. When I first tasted this wine (11 Apr 2002), I wrote that it would be ready to drink by 2004; on the second tasting occasion (17 Oct 2006), I wrote that it was drinking beautifully; and now I'll say drink now but don't hesitate to cellar until 2020. Score 93. (Re-tasted 21 Jul 2008)

Tedeschi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Capitel Monte Olmi, Veneto, 1995: On the first two occasions that I tasted this wine, I promised a fine future but suggested holding the wine until 2007 to drink. How nice it is from time to time to be proven correct. Full-bodied, its once searing tannins and intense concentration now tamed and showing a rich berry, herbal and peppery character, those all on a background of raisins and earthy minerals, all leading to a super-long finish on which you will find not only raisins but dried apricots and dried apples. Luxurious, a wine for the true hedonist. Drink now-2018. Score 93. (Re-tasted 21 Jul 2008)

Not to argue or disagree (after all indeed a question of each to his/her own taste) but a question: Is it possible that the sensation you and others might have been finding was not so much sweetness on its own but the combination of sweetness and bitterness that indeed is a component not only of Amarone in general but of Tedeschi wines in particular?

As someone summarized it across the table from me: he was too overwhelmed to fully enjoy the tasting. I guess we did not identify the bitterness.On the nose it was a rich mixture of smells, each wine changed in the glass, but we were going back in time too quickly, not leaving too much time to follow each wine developing and compare.

Do you find Tedeschi's Amarone showing more sweetness than other brands? Eli

Eli R wrote:Do you find Tedeschi's Amarone showing more sweetness than other brands?

Eli, Hi...

In their youth, yes, but even in their youth as the wines open in the glass they lose that initial "hit" of sweetness. Then, as they develop (and you will note that I find many of these wines just barely ready to drink now) a more fine-tuned balance between that sweetness, the bitterness and the fruits. What one does tend to find in the Tedesche wines are more raisined notes and it may be that calling up the sensation of sweetness.

Thanks for the insight. I guess our impressions were not that objective. Maybe if the wines were poured in flights of 3 rather than one by one, we had more time to let the wine develop in the glass while we take our impressions step by step.

Tedeschi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Capitel Monte Olmi, Veneto, 1997: Dark garnet towards royal purple in color, still in its infancy with its firm tannins waiting quietly to settle down and its elements waiting to come together but showing balance and structure that bode well for the future. A generously peppery wine, with blackberry, purple plums and dried blackcurrants, those supported nicely by notes of raisins, minerals and, rising on the long finish hints of cigar tobacco and licorice. Approachable now but best 2005-2012. Score 93. (Re-tasted 7 Jul 2003)